Roller track



June 7, 1949. D. T. BRINKLEY 2,472,514

ROLLER TRACK Filed Jan. 18. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Arm rney:

June 7, 1949. D. T. BRINKLEY ROLLER TRACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.18. 1946 A 7 9 A u M w z W H a 6 l l M l s II 1 H. H :vk {l 5 w. 5 v A VZ M Y m I H j//////// W 7 7 Inventor Patented June 7, 1949 David's.-Brinkley, iiiii ariganf AppficationJanuary 18, 1946; seriai 'fidl' 6413951- 3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to fixturesfor use with conventionalarticles of furniture as desks-Beds, dressers and the like havingrollers for moving the same about. Morespecifically, the presentinvention contemplates the provision of a trackforeach individual rollerupon which the roller may move, thereby keeping the roller off the floorand avoiding-damage thereto or to rugs or carpets spreadthereon aswell-as facilitating the moveifi ntof therfurniture. n v

An object of theinvention is to provide a rollerand track therefore inwhich thesecoactingparts are so formed-"as to maintain a'cooperatingrelation therebetween u another-objectis toprovide-a roller track whichwill automatically fold -'up -or move into an up right position when adesiredmovement of the associated furniture has been attained.

A further" object into provide a unitary roller track having stop meansfor limiting the movement of the r'oller'theieon';

Still other objects, features and advantages of the" presentinvenncnaretnose rlaitiii'gto'the utility thereof as regards the'w'ic'lgneral use for tracks of-theaforedscribdtype, the eifectivenessof use, and the economy of manufacture Figure 2 is a view similar tothat of Figure 1 but also illustrating the rollers in section and theposition of the track when the furniture is moved away from the wall,

Figure 3 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation asseen substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the track as viewed from the top thereof inFigure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a track according to an alternate formof the invention, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrates the positiontaken by the track when the furniture is rolled away from the wall.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of theinvention, [0 designates the leg portion of a conventional article offurniture such as a bed which, in the use thereof, may necessitate itsbeing moved away from a wall H for the purpose of making up the bedsheets and covers in the customary manner, the leg l0 egpre sentinvention such aconditionis I t ally obviated by the provisionof atrac for the roller adapted to retain the preferre 1 t the inventionisdisclosd, the numeral 20gnerally designates a track which is generallyright angular in configuration having a short leg 2| shown in abutmentwith wall II, a longer leg 22 disposed at right angles to leg- 2 l, andan intermediate arouate interconnecting portion 23 which conforms to thecurvature of the roller wheel l1. Track 20 is provided with sideretaining walls 24 and 25 for retaining the roller wheel therebetweenand somewhat higher end walls 26 and 21 which limit the movement of theroller along the track. Intermediate the side walls 24 and 25 is formeda semi-circular tongue 28 which extends the full length of the track andis adapted to be engaged by a coacting groove 29 formed in the rollerwhereby the traction therebetween is increased and the roller isadditionally restrained and constrained to follow along the track.

Track portions 2|, 22 and 23 and the side and end walls 24 through 21together with the tongue 28 preferably are formed integrally from anymaterial suitable for the purpose such, for example, as hard rubberwhereby the track is adapted to maintain the configuration shown whichnot only insures the effective operation of the roller on the track butalso retains the track in the unobtrusive position disclosed inFigure 1. To accomplish the usually desired movement from the positionof Figure 1 to that of Figure 2, the track may be in the order of twofeet long over its longer portion 22.

In moving the bed between these positions, roller wheel I! forces track20 to pivot or roll about its curved portion 23 until the longer leg 22engages the floor I3. The roller wheel thereafter moves along the trackuntil the desired movement of the bed is attained or the movement isterminated as the wheel engages the stop provided by end wall 21. Inmoving the bed back to the wall, the foregoing operations are performedin the reverse order.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the numeral 30 generally designates atrack which is formed in every respect similar to track 20 except thattrack 30 is formed of a rubber of suitable hardness or other qualitywhich renders it subject to inherent coiling whereby the end of thetrack which is not clamped to the floor by the roller automaticallycoils as the pressure of the roller thereon is removed and automaticallyuncoils as the pressure is applied thereto. Thus, opposite ends of thetrack are coiled in the positions of the roller disclosed in Figures 5and 6, the ends of the track always tending to coil toward the rollerwhereby an unobtrusive and compact arrangement is provided which maymake a longer track feasible than when track 20 is employed.

While the invention has been described with reference to but twoembodiments thereof, still other embodiments will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art, and it is my intention therefore to cover inthe appended claims all such equivalent structures as are commensuratedwith spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles offurniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support foreach of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof betweenrelatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the rollersupport to move along during said movement of the furniture, said trackhaving relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed atright angles to each other and inter- '4 connected by an arcuate portionwhich conforms to the periphery of the roller support.

2. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles offurniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support foreach of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof betweenrelatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the rollersupport to move along during said movement of the furniture, said trackhaving relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed atright angles to each other and interconnected by an arcuate portionwhich conforms to the periphery of the roller support, side and endwalls for said track adapted to retain the roller support in coactingrelation therewith and to limit movement therealong, respectively.

3. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles offurniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support foreach of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof betweenrelatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the rollersupport to move along during said movement of the furniture, said trackhaving relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed atright angles to each other and interconnected by an arouate portionwhich conforms to the periphery of the roller support, side and endwalls for said track adapted to retain the roller support in coactingrelation therewith and to limit movement therealong respectively, saidroller support having a peripheral groove formed therein and said trackhaving a longitudinally disposed tongue portion extended along thelength thereof and adapted to coact with the groove in the rollersupport as the same moves along the track.

DAVID T. BRINKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,735 Eger Jan. 26, 18921,433,922 Williams Oct. 31, 1922

